Eruptions from new fissure on Piton de la Fournaise.

The Observatoire Volcanologique du Piton de la Fournaise reported sharp increase in seismic activity beneath Piton de la Fournaise, a shield volcano which forms much of the eastern part of Réunion Island, an island in the western Indian Ocean which forms a department of France, starting slightly after 3.20 pm on Saturday 16 February 2019, and persisting for slightly over an hour. This resumed slightly after 9.15 am on Monday 18 February, and was accompanied by rapid deformation on the eastern flank of the volcano, and eventually the opening of a fissure on that flank from which a lava fountain emerged, reaching heights of about 30 m, and resulting in a lava flow that reached about 1900 m down the flank of the volcano. This continued until about 10.00 pm. Further earthquakes and gas emissions were recorded on 19 February, and on the 20th an overflight by vulcanologists from the Observatoire Volcanologique du Piton de la Fournaise recorded another fissure on the eastern flank.

A lava flow on the eastern flank of Piton de la Fournaise on 20 February 2019. Le Chaundron de Vulcan.

Piton de la Fournaise is believed to have been active for about 530 000 years, though its geology is complicated to unravel as lava flows are interbedded with those from Piton des Neiges, a larger, older and now extinct volcano to the northwest, which is responsible for the formation of about two thirds of the island. The island sits on the Réunion Hotspot, a deep mantle plume which is thought to have been active for about 66 million years, originally forming under what is now northeastern India, where it was responsible for the Deccan Traps flood basalts, then moving southward across the Indian Ocean (or more precisely sitting still while the continental plate upon which India and the Indian Ocean sit moves to the north), over time forming the Laccadive Islands, the Maldives, the Seychelles, Rodrigues Island, Mauritius and Réunion.

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Eruptions on Piton de la Fournaise.

The Observatoire Volcanologique du Piton de la Fournaise reported a sharp rise in sulphur dioxide emissions from Piton de la Fournaise, a shield volcano which forms much of the eastern part of Réunion Island, an island in the western Indian Ocean which forms a department of France, on 3 May 2015, followed by a similar rise in hydrogen sulphide emissions on 5 May. From 4 May onwards a rise in Earthquake activity beneath the mountain, which often signifies magma moving through chambers beneath a volcano, was detected, combined with inflation of the base of the summit cone. This seismic activity climbed steadily till 17 May, when about 200 events were recorded over a period of about 90 minutes, between 11.00 am local time and 12.30 pm. A second burst of intense seismic activity began at about 12.50 pm, followed by an eruption from a new fissure to the southeast of Dolomieu Crater. A total of three new fissures were detected in the area that afternoon, all producing lava fountains, and tw lava flows were also observed, and a gas plume which rose about 4 km over the summit of the volcano and drifted to the northwest. The most westerly of the new fissures stopped emitting lava before midnight, and by morning on 18 may only a single fissure was active, producing a lava fountain reaching 40-50 m in height and a flow that travelled 4 km from the opening, as well as a smaller gas plume, with a high hydrogen sulphide and carbon dioxide content. On 19 May the fissure activity had subsided, with fountains reaching at most 20-30 m in height, and the lava flow proceeding only another 750 m during the day.

Lava fountain and flow emerging from a new fissure on Piton de la Fournaise. Clicanoo.

Piton de la Fournaise is believed to have been active for about 530 000 years, though its geology is complicated to unravel as lava flows are interbedded with those from Piton des Neiges, a larger, older and now extinct volcano to the northwest, which is responsible for the formation of about two thirds of the island. The island sits on the Réunion Hotspot, a deep mantle plume which is thought to have been active for about 66 million years, originally forming under what is now northeastern India, where it was responsible for the Deccan Traps flood basalts, then moving southward across the Indian Ocean (or more precisely sitting still while the continental plate upon which India and the Indian Ocean sit moves to the north), over time forming the Laccadive Islands, the Maldives, the Seychelles, Rodrigues Island, Mauritius and Réunion.

The location of Piton de la Fornaise on Réunion Island.  Google Maps.

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Eruptions on Piton de la Fournaise, Réunion Island.

On Wednesday 4 February 2014 the Observatoire Volcanologique du Piton de la Fournaise recorded 180 Earthquakes between 4.00 and 9.00 am, on Piton de la Fournaise, a shield volcano which forms much of...

Possible volcanic eruption in Himachal Pradesh State, India.

A report in the Times of India on 6 June 2014 has documented a possible volcanic eruption in the Kangra District of Himachal Pradesh State, India. The...

Seismic activity on Mount Nyamulagira, Democratic Republic of Congo.

The Volcanic Observatory of Goma have issued a warning of a possible impending eruption on Mount Nyamulagira, an active volcano close to Mount Nyiragongo in the Virungu Mountains of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, about 25 km to the north of Lake Kivu. Mount Nyamalugira is often considered...

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Eruptions on Piton de la Fournaise, Réunion Island.

On Wednesday 4 February 2014 the Observatoire Volcanologique du Piton de la Fournaise recorded 180 Earthquakes between 4.00 and 9.00 am, on Piton de la Fournaise, a shield volcano which forms much of the eastern part of Réunion Island, an island in the western Indian Ocean which forms a department of France, with five events exceeding Magnitude 2. The activity increased after 9.00 am, prompting an investigation of the mountain. At about 11.00 am observers spotted a 500 m in the central caldera, about 100 m to the west of Bory Crater, the smaller and more westerly of the two main craters within the caldera. Lava was scene erupting from this fissure, reaching a height of about 10 m, and flowing in a number of streams to the south and southwest. Earthquake activity subsided that evening, though it did not cease, continuing at a low level until a second major outburst on 10 February, followed by a return to a lower level of activity. Visits to the caldera on 8 an 9 February revealed lava was still flowing, while gas emissions were detected on 6 February. This is the first activity on the volcano since December 2010.

Lava flow on Piton de la Fournaise on 11 February 2014. ile-en-ile.

Piton de la Fournaise is believed to have been active for about 530 000 years, though its geology is complicated to unravel as lava flows are interbedded with those from Piton des Neiges, a larger, older and now extinct volcano to the northwest, which is responsible for the formation of about two thirds of the island. The island sits on the Réunion Hotspot, a deep mantle plume which is thought to have been active for about 66 million years, originally forming under what is now northeastern India, where it was responsible for the Deccan Traps flood basalts, then moving southward across the Indian Ocean (or more precisely sitting still while the continental plate upon which India and the Indian Ocean sit moves to the north), over time forming the Laccadive Islands, the Maldives, the Seychelles, Rodrigues Island, Mauritius and Réunion.

See also...

Possible volcanic eruption in Himachal Pradesh State, India.
A report in the Times of India on 6 June 2014 has documented a possible volcanic eruption in the Kangra District of Himachal Pradesh State, India. The...


Eruptions on Barren Island.
NASA's MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) system, mounted on the Terra (EOS AM) and Aqua (EOS PM) satellites, detected a hotspot developing over the Baren Island Volcano in the Andaman Islands over the period 10-16 October...

Eruption on Mount Karthala.
Mount Karthala is the southernmost, and larger, of two shield volcanoes making up the island of Grand Comore (Ngazidja). Shield volcanos are broad, dome-shaped, volcanoes made up of successive layers of lava; shield volcanoes do not have the classic 'cone-shape'...


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